EPA

NYS SMM Stewards Engage Communities through Social Media, Interactive Presentations, in 2024 Project Roundup

The Spring 2024 cohort of the New York State Sustainable Materials Management (NYS SMM) Stewardship Program has concluded with another successful round of creative engagement projects aimed at fostering curiosity and greater understanding of SMM in local communities and beyond. 

The NYS SMM Stewardship Program is a long running, student-centered program   developed by the Syracuse University Center for Sustainable Community Solutions (CSCS) and administered in partnership with the New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse and Recycling (NYSAR3) and the Center for Sustainable Materials Management (CSMM) at SUNY ESF. This annual opportunity provides college/university students from across the state with a unique chance to explore and deepen their knowledge of the concepts of “sustainable materials management” — a term that reflects a holistic approach to the use and reuse of society’s materials throughout their entire life cycles, with a focus on environmental impact and conservation of resources. 

Topics studied through the program include traditional recycling, composting, single-use plastics, reuse/repair, textiles, and effective community engagement, as well as current issues and challenges in the industry including resource extraction, overconsumption, “waste” as a concept, and environmental pollution. 

This virtual paid learning experience currently occurs in the Spring semester each year. Students receive training, mentoring, and guidance to engage local communities through hands-on, experiential SMM projects that work to address waste challenges they are currently facing. 

This unique remote opportunity has helped future SMM leaders launch their careers. Many stewards have transitioned directly into SMM-related jobs after graduation from their respective colleges, leveraging the valuable skills and professional experience gained through the program.

The Projects

In Spring 2024, 19 stewards from 12 NYS colleges/universities (including SUNY New Paltz, SUNY-ESF, Binghamton University, and St. Lawrence University) completed the program, resulting in a variety of community engagement projects, such as compost bin building, podcast interviews with SMM industry leaders, and in-class interactive presentations at local K-12 schools. 

Please see below for samples and a list of our stewards’ Spring 2024 projects!

Interested in becoming a steward?
Do you know someone who is interested in applying to the NYS SMM Stewardship Program? Applications for Spring 2025 will open in September 2024 and can be found on the NYS SMM Stewardship webpage.

Interested in supporting a steward?
If you have a project that a steward could help with, or are interested in working with a future SMM steward, please contact CSCS Program Associate Morgan Ingraham at meingrah@syr.edu for more information.

Isabela Fraguada, Stony Brook University

Topic: Animation & Social Media Outreach

Isabela Fraguada created an animated character named Turkeybacon, a veteran of the Marine wars against plastic pollution and advocate for SMM. Through a series of Instagram outreach posts, Turkeybacon explains and demonstrates concepts of SMM such as reuse, repair, and composting. Follow the QR code to see Turkeybacon in action, or follow him on @turkeybaconturtle on Instagram!

Richard Correa-Lampasona, St. John’s University

Topic: Extended Producer Responsibility Podcast – Interview with Product Stewardship Institute

Richard Correa-Lampasona hosted a podcast interview with Scott Cassel, CEO and Founder of the Product Stewardship Institute. This educational podcast gives a background on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy, as well as an insight into what PSI is all about. Follow the QR code or go to tinyurl.com/SMMStewardEPR to listen to the podcast!

Wren Kingsley, SUNY New Paltz

Topic: SMM Education & Advocacy Campaign at Local Middle School

Wren Kingsley worked with New Paltz Middle School’s Climate Club in a series of SMM-related workshops. The first workshop, Recycling 101, consisted of an in-class game where New Paltz Middle School students sorted items to learn about what was recyclable or not. Then, students were taken on a tour of the New Paltz Recycling and Reuse Center. Back in the classroom again, students built a worm bin to learn about composting. Finally, students engaged in a letter-writing campaign to local government officials to express their concerns about climate change.

Other Projects

Litter Cleanup Composition and Outreach: Lauren Hamilton Musso, SUNY-ESF

Waste in Small Business: Willow Mercer, Stony Brook University

Repair Day Pop-Up Event: Shawna Stevenson, Binghamton University

Waste in Local School: Brady Hartnett, Syracuse University

How University Students View Single-Use Plastic Waste on Campus: Elizabeth Vool, Stony Brook University

Upcycling Materials for Less Waste:  Kimberly Bravo, St. Lawrence University

Middle School Recycling Education: Maggie Saville, SUNY Binghamton

Compost for Community: Brianna Rodriguez, SUNY New Paltz

College Campus Clothing Swap: Kade DeMarle, SUNY Albany

Waste Tracking in Elementary Schools: Janice Yohannan, Stony Brook University

Increasing the Engagement of the Campus Thrift Store: Valeria Obregon, St. Lawrence University

Pop-Up Thrift Shop & Clothing Swap: Jessie Mazzeo, SUNY Geneseo

Campus Litter Analysis: Dolphins Collect:  Meghan Walton, Le Moyne College

Climate Smart Communities Waste Reduction Education Campaign: Caitlyn Davey, Binghamton University

Feasible SMM Campaign: A Digestible Approach to Zero-Waste: Jordan Winkelman, Syracuse University

Thank you to our partners

The NYS SMM Stewardship Program is administered in partnership with NYSAR3 and with grant funding from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and CSMM. 

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program

The EPA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program issues an annual solicitation for proposals from U.S. small businesses to develop and commercialize innovative technologies that address the Agency’s mission. Topics for the 2024-2025 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I Solicitation include source reduction and reuse and lowering embodied carbon in the built environment!

Eligible Recipients

To receive an SBIR award, the awardee must qualify as a Small Business Concern (SBC) as defined by SBA regulations at 13 C.F.R. §§ 701-705. The eligibility requirements for the SBIR/STTR programs are unique and do not correspond to those of other small business programs.

Funding Source

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Funding Amount

Calling for small businesses to apply for Phase I awards of up to $100,000 to demonstrate proof of concept in one of this year’s SBIR solicitation topics. Successful Phase I awardees are eligible to receive Phase II funding, up to $400,000 for two years, through an additional application process.

Deadline

The EPA’s 2024-2025 SBIR Phase I solicitation is anticipated to open in June 2024.

The SBIR Phase I solicitation Informational Webinar will give attendees an overview of anticipated topics; review administrative, submission, eligibility and proposal evaluation processes; and share frequently asked questions.
Wednesday, June 5, 2024, 2:00 p.m. ET
Register here: Information and registration

Contact

If you have questions or comments about EPA’s research projects and funding opportunities, please complete the contact form below or email OSAPE_Communications@epa.gov. For other EPA-related questions, visit the main EPA contact page.

More Information

https://www.epa.gov/sbir/2024-2025-epa-sbir-phase-i-solicitation-informational-webinar

EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG)

EPA has announced two competitions for CPRG implementation grants – a general competition for applications from states, municipalities, tribes, tribal consortia, and territories, and a competition only for tribes, tribal consortia, and territories. These competitions are open to entities that received planning grants to develop Priority Climate Action Plans (PCAPs) under phase 1 of the CPRG program, as well as entities that did not directly receive a planning grant that are applying for funds to implement measures included in an applicable PCAP. Eligible applicants may only apply for funding to implement measures contained in an applicable PCAP.

Eligible Recipients

Eligible applicants for the CPRG implementation grants competitions are limited to lead organizations for CPRG planning grants and other executive branch-level agencies, offices, and departments in states, D.C., Puerto Rico, municipalities, tribes, tribal consortia, territories, and groups of such entities applying for funding to implement measures contained in one or more applicable Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) developed with funding from a CPRG planning grant.

Funding Source:
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Funding Amount

For the general competition, EPA anticipates awarding individual grants between $2 million and $500 million, with funding tiers allowing comparably sized projects to compete against one another. For the competition for tribes and territories, EPA anticipates awarding individual grants ranging between $1 million to $25 million.

Deadline

General competition:

Optional Notice of Intent to Apply due to CPRG@epa.gov by February 1, 2024.
Complete applications must be submitted through Grants.gov no later than April 1, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. (ET) in order to be considered for funding.


Tribes and territories only competition:

Optional Notice of Intent to Apply due to CPRG@epa.gov by March 1, 2024.
Complete applications must be submitted through Grants.gov no later than May 1, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. (ET) to be considered for funding.
Please read the Notices of Funding Opportunity for these competitions for the most complete and up-to-date information about application deadlines and timing for these competitions.

Contact

Questions related to the CPRG implementation grants competitions should be submitted to CPRG@epa.gov.

More Information

https://www.epa.gov/inflation-reduction-act/cprg-implementation-grants

EPA Environmental Education (EE) Grants

The Environmental Education Grant Program is seeking applications from eligible applicants to support locally-focused environmental education projects that promote environmental stewardship and help develop knowledgeable and responsible students, teachers, and community members. This grant program provides financial support for projects that design, demonstrate, and/or disseminate environmental education practices, methods, or techniques that increase public awareness and knowledge about local environmental issues and provides participants in its programs the skills necessary to make informed decisions and to take responsible actions toward the environment.

Eligible Recipients:
Applicants must represent one of the following types of organizations to be eligible for an environmental education grant:

  • Local education agencies
  • College or universities
  • State education or environmental agencies
  • Nonprofit organizations described in Section 501(C)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
  • Tribal organizations that qualify as nonprofit organization described Section 501(C)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
  • Tribal education agencies
  • Noncommercial educational broadcasting entity as defined and licensed by Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

“Tribal education agencies” that are eligible to apply include a school or community college which is controlled by an Indian tribe, band, or nation, which is recognized as eligible for special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians and which is not administered by the Bureau of Indian Education.

Eligible Projects:
Applications must address at least one of these Educational Priorities to be considered eligible: community projects; career development; environmental education capacity building; environmental justice and/or indigenous knowledge.

Applications must also address at least one of the Administrator’s Environmental Priorities to be considered eligible: addressing climate change and improving air quality; ensuring clean and safe water; and/or cleaning up our communities by revitalizing land and preventing contamination.

Funding Source:
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Funding Amount:

The total amount of funding available under this announcement is approximately $360,000, depending on Agency funding levels, the quality of applications received, agency priorities, and other applicable considerations. It is anticipated that 3-5 awards will be made under this announcement. Each Region 2 grant will be funded for no less than $50,000, and no more than $100,000 in federal funds. Region 2 covers the states of New Jersey (NJ), New York (NY), Puerto Rico (PR), and the Virgin Islands (VI).

Deadline: November 8, 2023

Contact:

If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact:

Chiamaka Alozie, Region 2 (Electronic Submissions Contact)
Michael Band, HQ (Eligibility and General NOFO Contact)

Alozie.Chiamaka@epa.gov; EEgrants@epa.gov

More Information:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=350204

EPA Region 2 Sustainable Materials Management Grants

This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits applications that support the EPA Sustainable Materials Management Program, for the benefit of States or communities within EPA Region 2 (New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and eight Indian Nations). Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) is a systemic approach to using and reusing materials more productively over their entire life cycles. It represents a change in how our society thinks about the use of natural resources and environmental protection. By looking at a product’s entire life cycle, we can find new opportunities to reduce environmental impacts, conserve resources and reduce costs. Specifically, this RFA addresses the following programmatic priorities: Sustainable Management of Food, and Sustainable Packaging.

Eligible Recipients:
Consistent with CFDA No. 66.808, the following entities are eligible to compete under this solicitation: States, local, Tribal, interstate, and intrastate government agencies and instrumentalities, and non-profit organizations that are not 501(c)(4) organizations that lobby, including non-profit educational institutions and non-profit hospitals. Individuals and for-profit organizations are not eligible.

Eligible Projects:

  1. Sustainable Food Management (SFM) – SFM focusses on reducing food loss and waste and diverting food from the landfill according to EPA’s Food Waste Reduction Hierarchy, found at: https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/food-recovery- hierarchy. Source Reduction, otherwise known as waste prevention, is at the top of the hierarchy, followed by donation, industrial applications, and composting. This solicitation is open to projects focusing on source reduction strategies; i.e., this RFA solicits applications focused on preventing waste before it is generated. Even after source reduction strategies are applied, there is nearly always some unavoidable food waste. Including food donation and composting as project components to deal with this unavoidable remainder is acceptable, so long as source reduction is the primary focus of the project.
  2. Sustainable Packaging – Together, food and packaging/containers account for almost 45% of the materials landfilled in the United States. Common trash from consumer goods comprises the majority of what eventually becomes marine debris, polluting waterways and oceans. Plastics in the aquatic environment are of great concern because of their persistence and effects on the environment, wildlife, and human health. Sustainable packaging projects should focus on developing methods to reduce packaging waste and thereby decrease the quantity of materials directed toward the landfill. Simply increasing recycling rates of packaging waste is not an acceptable focus for this RFA. Fundable projects should strive to create lasting change in the community.

Funding Source:
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Funding Amount:
The total estimated funding expected to be available for all awards in this competitive opportunity is $200,000. EPA expects to make between 1-3 awards depending upon the quality of applications submitted.

Application Deadline:
The closing date and time for the receipt of applications is September 15, 2023, by 11:59 pm, Eastern Time (ET) in order to be considered for funding. Application packages must be submitted electronically to Grants.gov on or before this date and time in order to be considered for funding.

Contact:
 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2
Attn: Dale Carpenter
290 Broadway, 22nd floor
New York, NY 10007-1866
(212) 637-4110
Carpenter.Dale@epa.gov

More Information:
https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=349550

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, is seeking proposals from the small businesses to develop novel environmental technologies in the following topics areas. See the official solicitation posted on FedConnect to learn more about the topic areas and view full topic descriptions.

Eligible Recipients:
Small businesses

Eligible Projects:

Clean and Safe Water

  • Zero-liquid discharge and brine concentrate minimization
  • Treatment and destruction of PFAS in wastewater and other waste streams
  • HABs sensors that can monitor cyanobacteria and toxins

Air Quality & Climate

  • Innovative technologies to clean indoor air during wildfire smoke events and other high pollution days
  • Air pollution control technologies for urban small sources

Land

  • Innovations in slurry injection technology for complex waste treatment and disposal

Homeland Security

  • AI-based indoor mapping and localization using smartphone sensor data

Circular Economy/Sustainable Materials

  • Innovative technologies that help consumers prevent food waste in the acquisition, preparation, and storage of food
  • Innovative technologies or materials that will improve the U.S. recycling system
  • Innovative material reduction and reuse solutions to lower embodied carbon in the built environment

Safer Chemicals

  • Rubber anti-degradant technologies for tires and other rubber products that are lower concern for human health and the environment
  • Innovative enhanced efficiency fertilizers

Funding Source:
US Environmental Protection Agency

Funding Amount:
TBA

Deadline:
Open: June 28, 2023 – Close: August 23, 2023. Proposals must be submitted through FedConnect by the required deadline.

Contact:
Matthew Huber huber.matthew@epa.gov

More Information:
https://www.epa.gov/sbir/sbir-funding-opportunities

EPA Consumer Recycling Education and Outreach (REO) Grant Program

The EPA is seeking applications proposing projects that inform the public about new or existing residential or community recycling programs; provide information about the recycled materials that are accepted as part of a residential or community recycling program that provides for the separate collection of residential solid waste from recycled material; and increases collection rates and decreases contamination in residential and community recycling programs. Projects will improve consumer recycling education with the goal of achieving separate collection of recycled material across the nation, maximizing the efficient reuse of materials, and identifying strategies that otherwise result in an increase in volume of recyclable materials. The EPA also recognizes and encourages applications that demonstrate evidence-based messaging and strategies associated with effective communication campaigns designed to increase prevention, reuse, repair, remanufacture, recycling, anaerobic digestion, and composting in communities and/or decrease contamination in the recycling stream. This approach to community-informed messaging goes beyond education only by emphasizing researching the audience, building trust, and reducing audience barriers while emphasizing benefits for desired action.

Eligible Recipients:

An entity that is eligible to receive a grant under the grant program is—

  • a U.S. State, including the District of Columbia;
  • Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, and any agency or instrumentality thereof exclusive of local governments
  • a unit of local government as defined in the Local government provision of 2 CFR 200.1;
  • an Indian Tribe (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304));
  • a Native Hawaiian organization (as defined in section 6207 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7517));
  • the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands;
  • the Office of Hawaiian Affairs;
  • a nonprofit organization; or
  • a public-private partnership.

Eligible Projects:

Goal 1: Tackle the Climate Crisis;

  • Objective 1.1: Reduce Emissions that Cause Climate Change
  • Objective 1.3: Advance International and Subnational Climate Efforts

Goal 2: Take Decisive Action to Advance Environmental Justice and Civil Rights;

  • Objective 2.1: Promote Environmental Justice and Civil Rights at the Federal, Tribal, State, and Local Levels
  • Objective 2.2: Embed Environmental Justice and Civil Rights into EPA’s Programs, Policies, and Activities

Goal 6: Safeguard and Revitalize Communities

  • Objective 6.1: Clean Up and Restore Land for Productive Uses and Healthy Communities
  • Objective 6.2: Reduce Waste and Prevent Environmental Contamination

Funding Source:

EPA

Funding Amount:

It is anticipated that approximately $30,000,000 will be awarded under this announcement, depending on the availability of funds, quantity and quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations.

Funding Deadline:

Application packages must be submitted electronically to the EPA through Grants.gov (www.grants.gov) no later than February 15, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. (EST) in order to be considered for funding.

Contact:

Jessica Oursler
U.S. EPA, Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery (MC 5306P)
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW,
Washington, DC

RecyclingEd@epa.gov

More Information: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=344491

EPA Source Reduction Assistance (SRA) Grant Program

EPA funds Source Reduction Assistance (SRA) grants to support research, investigation, experiments, surveys, study, demonstration, education and training using source reduction approaches (also known as P2 or pollution prevention).

EPA is particularly interested in projects that promote practical source reduction practices, tools, and training on P2 approaches to measurably improve human and environmental health by reducing the use of hazardous substances, reducing toxic pollutants, reducing resource use (e.g., water and energy) and reducing expenditures and liability costs to businesses, non-profit organizations and/or communities.

Eligible Recipients:

States, local, interstate, and intrastate government agencies and instrumentalities, federally recognized tribes, inter-tribal consortia and non-profit organizations formed under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (not 501(c)(4) organizations that lobby).

Eligible Projects:
Suggested project types include but are not limited to: prevention of greenhouse gas emissions; hazardous materials source reduction; innovative approaches to conservation of materials and resources; and environmental justice through P2 actions.

Funding Source:
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Funding Amount:
$1,135,000 in federal funds awards ranging from $40,000 to $250,000.

Funding Deadline:
Offered every two years

Contact:
For general information, please contact Christina Bitten, Phone: 404-562-8569, Email: bitten.christina@epa.gov

More Information:
https://www.epa.gov/p2/source-reduction-assistance-grants

EPA State and Territories Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grants

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $275,000,000 total from Fiscal Year 2022 to Fiscal Year 2026 for grants authorized under the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act. EPA will make available $30,000,000 in Fiscal Year 2023 for states and territories to improve post-consumer materials management programs through planning, data collection, and the implementation of plans.

Eligible Recipients:

The entities eligible to apply for this funding opportunity are:

  • U.S. States, including Washington, D.C.
  • U.S. Territories (Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands).

Eligible Projects:

Funding can be used for three categories of activities:

  • Develop or update plans to advance post-consumer materials management. Plans can be for Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 256 solid waste management plans or other planning documents (e.g., circular economy plans).
  • Develop, strengthen, and/or implement comprehensive data collection efforts that demonstrate progress toward the National Recycling Goal and Food Loss and Waste Reduction Goal. Data collection and measurement efforts should be designed to improve the state’s ability to track progress towards national and state recycling and/or circular economy goals. Data collection efforts could include state-wide or other targeted waste characterization studies.
  • Support the state-led implementation of plans to advance post-consumer materials management.

Funding Source:

EPA

Funding Amount:

EPA anticipates awarding up a total of $30,000,000 in fiscal year 2023.

Funding Deadline:

Participating states and territories have submitted a Notice of Intent to Participate (NOIP) to the EPA. EPA released the program guidance in grants.gov (pdf) (440 K) on December 15, 2022.

The first draft of workplans are due to the EPA by February 3, 2023.

Contact:

Dale Carpenter Carpenter.Dale@epa.gov

More Information: https://www.epa.gov/rcra/grants-states-and-territories

EPA Anaerobic Digestion (AD) Funding Opportunity

EPA supports diversion of food waste and other organic materials from landfills. Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is an alternative to landfilling that results in environmental benefits in the form of renewable energy (biogas) and a product that can improve soil health (digestate). The goal of this funding opportunity was to accelerate the development of new or enhance/increase existing anaerobic digestion capacity and infrastructure in the United States.

Eligible Recipients:

  • State (including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and Northern Mariana Islands), local, Tribal, interstate, and intrastate government agencies and instrumentalities, and;
  • Non-profit organizations (as defined by 2 CFR Part 200) including non-profit educational institutions and non-profit hospitals. Organizations that fall under 501(c)(4) that lobby are not applicable.

Additionally, up to approximately $800,000 of the estimated total will be set aside specifically for awards to the following organizations:

  • U.S. territories
  • Tribal governments
  • Tribal colleges and universities; or
  • Eligible organizations located in persistent poverty counties.

Eligible Projects: Along with other requirements that are noted in the Request for Applications (RFA), applications must address one of the following objectives to merit further review.

  • Develop new or expand existing AD capacity for processing food waste.
  • Demonstrate solutions and/or approaches for increasing food waste AD utilization that can be replicated by other communities, governments, or other entities.
  • Support state, Tribal, and/or local government programs that seek to use AD to increase their food waste diversion rates.
  • Projects are awarded under the general authority of the Solid Waste Disposal Act, Subchapter VIII, Section 6981, which must include in the project conducting and promoting the coordination of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, public education programs, and studies relating to solid waste.

Funding Source:
US Environmental Protection Agency

Funding Amount:
The total amount of funding for this program is $2,000,000. Individual grant awards may potentially be in the range of $50,000-$200,000 for the funding period. Up to $800,000 of the estimated total will be set-aside specifically for underserved communities and/or Tribal projects. Please refer to RFA for complete information.

Deadline:
The FY21 Request for Applications (RFA) is now closed.

Contact:
If you have questions about the 2020 or 2021 Anaerobic Digestion Funding Opportunity, please contact ADGrant@epa.gov.

More Information:
https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/sustainable-materials-management-2021-anaerobic-digestion-funding